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SEO - The Backbone of an Effective Web Presence

Posted on 3rd Aug 2024

Author: Stuart B

Read time: 3 minutes


Working on a laptop

Slow-loading pages can lead to higher bounce rates and lower conversion rates. While content and backlinks often steal the spotlight, the technical foundation of a website can significantly influence its search engine rankings and user experience. At 32 Digital we believe that this should always be the first job. Getting your website up to speed and ensuring it is ready for marketing gives us a solid foundation on which to work.

Website Architecture and URL Structure

A well-structured website is the bedrock of good SEO. A logical and intuitive architecture not only aids search engines in crawling your site efficiently but also enhances user navigation. Key considerations include:

  • Hierarchy: We ensure your website follows a clear hierarchical structure, with categories and subcategories that make sense.
  • URLs: We keep URLs clean, descriptive, and consistent. We avoid long, complex URLs with unnecessary parameters. For example, we use www.example.com/services/web-design instead of www.example.com/index.php?id=123&category=web-design.

Page Speed optimisation

Page speed is a critical ranking factor and directly impacts user experience. To optimise page speed we do the following:

  • Compress Images: We use tools like TinyPNG or ImageOptim to reduce the size of your images without compromising quality.
  • Minify Code: We minify HTML, CSS, and JavaScript files to remove unnecessary characters, spaces, and comments.
  • Leverage Browser Caching: We implement caching mechanisms to store static resources on the user’s device, reducing load times on subsequent visits.

Mobile-Friendliness

With the increasing use of mobile devices for internet browsing, ensuring your website is mobile-friendly is imperative. Google’s mobile-first indexing prioritizes mobile versions of websites in search results. We use the following steps to enhance mobile-friendliness:

  • Responsive Design: Responsive web design techniques to ensure your site adapts seamlessly to various screen sizes.
  • Viewport Configuration: We set the viewport meta tag to control layout on mobile browsers.
  • Touch-Friendly Elements: We ensure buttons and links are easily tappable without zooming in.

Secure Socket Layer (SSL) Implementation

Security is a top priority for both users and search engines. Google favors HTTPS websites, marking them as secure. Implementing SSL certificates encrypts data transfer between the server and the user, enhancing security and trust. To implement SSL:

 

  • Purchase and Install SSL Certificate: We make sure that you obtain an SSL certificate from a trusted provider and configure it on your web server.
  • Redirect HTTP to HTTPS: We ensure all HTTP pages redirect to their HTTPS counterparts to avoid duplicate content issues.

Meta Tags and Headers

Meta tags and headers play a vital role in providing search engines with information about your web pages. Proper use of these elements can improve your site’s visibility and click-through rates:

  • Title Tags: We craft unique, descriptive, and keyword-rich title tags for each page. Keep them within 50-60 characters.
  • Meta Descriptions: Meta Depictions: We compose compelling meta portrayals that precisely summarize the page substance and empower people to click. We aim for 150-160 characters.
  • Header Tags (H1-H6): We use header tags to structure your content logically. The H1 tag should reflect the main topic of the page, while H2 and H3 tags can be used for subheadings.
  • XML Sitemaps and Robots.txt. XML sitemaps and the robots.txt file are essential tools for guiding search engines in crawling and indexing your website: XML Sitemap: We create and submit an XML sitemap to search engines. This file lists all the important pages on your site, helping search engines find and index them. Robots.txt: We use the robots.txt file to control which pages search engines can and cannot crawl. Ensure it doesn’t block important pages or resources.
  • Structured Data Markup. Structured data markup, or schema markup, helps search engines understand the content of your pages better. It can enhance search result listings with rich snippets, improving click-through rates:
  • Schema.org: We implement schema markup using the guidelines provided by Schema.org. This can include product information, reviews, events, and more. Testing: We use Google’s Rich Results Test to ensure your structured data is correctly implemented and eligible for rich results.

Conclusion

Technical on-page SEO is an integral component of a comprehensive SEO strategy. By focusing on website architecture, page speed, mobile-friendliness, security, meta tags, sitemaps, and structured data, you can create a robust foundation that supports higher search engine rankings and a better user experience. Regular audits and updates are essential to maintain optimal performance and adapt to evolving SEO best practices. Embrace these technical aspects to ensure your website not only attracts but also retains visitors, ultimately driving your online success.

Stuart B

Web Design & Development Specialist

Web designer Stuart B

Stuart B has been creating websites for over 20 years and has a deep understanding of Web site psychology, UX design and Graphic design.
Stuart is also an advocate of accessibility in web design.

Proficient in:
VS Code HTML CSS3 SASS PHP Javascript SQL Web Accessibility Bulma Bootstrap Shopify WordPress PrestaShop Photoshop Illustrator